You DON’T Need Mobility Exercises

[@wargen8121]

Mobility is flexibility multiplied by strength is the single best quote I've heard about mobility in general.

[@benericsson5277]

And I disagree. It shouldn't be multiplied.. maybe added to or some other equation. Def not multiplied. Did you even actually think about that mathematically?

[@wargen8121]

@@benericsson5277 "🤓" grade comment. Do math if you want to, I'll do sets. "Umm akshly" doesn't help neither strength or flexibility.

[@lo_end_frequencies2626]

​@@benericsson5277 totally man it's obviously square rooted fuckin tool

[@littlethuggie]

Unfortunately, it's wrong lol

[@christophegroulx7816]

@@littlethuggie Elaborate

[@nc8982]

I made the mistake for years with an injury just stretching it instead of strengthening it as well. Once I added the strength to the stretches it went away in less than a month

[@signofthetrident527]

Same. But that’s what they tell you to do unfortunately and, avoid lifting really. Weight training is such a great way to compensate for serious past injuries if done safely and gradually.

[@toomuch9762]

@@signofthetrident527that’s what “who” tells you? Every physio gives strengthening exercises for rehabbing injuries! Like this info is not revolutionary or something 😂😂😂😂

[@alexmcmahon2810]

Yeah same here. Multiple times, too!

[@miles5998]

This just happened to me with my Achilles, hurting for about 8 months. Resting and stretching. Now I've been doing calves raises, feel so much better. Almost fully healed now.

[@seanharricharan9191]

Yea, you need to strengthen and stabilize around the injury

[@gregnield7750]

Amazing how Mike blinks with full range of motion 😊

[@derogren]

Das funny

[@papercut7141]

It's because he's fighting the steroid nightmares with every blink

[@zelma473]

blinking until heart failure

[@WesleyB-Rook]

Blink away the roid rage 😂

[@ld7873]

As an individual with arthritis mobility exercises did help. I think there is a place for both - its not a one size fits all. Movement (any kind of movement) is key.

[@Pangora2]

To add, I think its also a general rule that exceptions will be exceptions. If someone was otherwise purely healthy, as to say, then this should work. I know when I fell and had an elbow injury there was no real working that off fast at all. We should all start with the general rules and then adjust when we each come into our own speedbumps.

[@Bruce_Wayne35]

Eat carnivore for 6 weeks. If the arthritis doesn't improve, then just return to your old diet.

[@hayleyworkman3149]

😂​@@Bruce_Wayne35

[@mini-faza2618]

Damn that Bulgarian split squat looks like he'll,I felt it from the screen

[@juvedoo99]

I can squat pretty heavy but Bulgarian split squats have humbled me. I’m also able to feel my hips engaging like I haven’t before .

[@1729krish]

​@juvedoo99 for me it's the opposite, barbell back squats just feel weird on my body, but lunges and bulgarian feel unbelievably amazing

[@GoodGains90]

Front foot elevated split squat*

[@SeyidAr]

Fron foot elevated reverse lunge*

[@GoodGains90]

@@SeyidAr front foot elevated reverse lunges on smith machine*

[@disassorteddis2479]

I want to hear more of *this* stuff. Don't tease me with tight shoulders and then talk about hips!

[@paulwaters4672]

I heard that lol ..I can barely get under a squat bar now cause it has been years since I done squats

[@PlasmaLuke]

Fr! 😂😂😂

[@Chrisket]

Dumbbell external rotations are good

[@thehousecat93]

Tight shoulders like tech neck? Shoulders hunched forward? Probably want to start with rear delt exercises. That’s how I got my shoulders to stay back and down.

[@batatanna]

3 words Over Head Squats

[@alantyndall85]

I find banded mobility drills work well for me and get everything nice and warm. My shoulders don't feel quite as ready as they do with a set of banded rotations before I start push day.

[@danielchavez4575]

I need a Dr Mike calendar

[@deztazondeztazon2215]

This! 🙏

[@MRornge800]

Mobility work is good when it challenges your balance, dexterity, or flexibility.

[@mslice09]

Or when your injured...it may take more time ,but you will recover properly this way 😮

[@BUFFALO_cougar_slayer]

No, not really, it’s good when it challenges your muscle to contract under resistance from preternaturally stretched positions. That’s how you build mobility. Balance, dexterity, and flexibility are all tertiary to this discussion. I would even argue if you’re challenging your balance in the gym that you’re only hurting your progress. And that you’ve been watching too much Joel Seedman 😅

[@ShaunThomas-gy6fg]

Alright the smith machine doesnt challenge stability at all

[@ibrokethefunny]

From personal experience, my squats and my overall athletic capability were improved with mobility exercises. I'm not saying it is the answer, but it was part of my equation in my 20's. I think mobility through strength alone is great, too. I am curious if there is a rate of injury study that tracks both philosophies?

[@vannloc7551]

If U find it, I would also like to read it bro

[@GhostInspired]

Think of it this way... Your prior mobility/stretching regime helped you because you weren't strong in those movements. If you continued to do those exercises & slowly added more resistance to them you would greatly improve at those movements too. Typical mobility exercise is just non-weighted calisthenics.

[@BaconManBruh]

Mobility drills are great for introducing mind and muscle connections and teaches you how to activate properly on any exercise be it body building or throwing a ball correctly. It is the answer for beginners definitely but not really necessary once you are well versed on how to move properly and have proper technique.

[@vipcesh]

Pnf stretching combines stretching and strength inorder to increase mobility

[@jessegoodwin2117]

What’s pnf stretching?

[@meialua5178]

@@jessegoodwin2117 Contracting the muscles as you stretch, relaxing, then contracting them again

[@vipcesh]

@@jessegoodwin2117 it’s an isometric contract/relax technique near your maximum ROM.

[@littlethuggie]

​@jessegoodwin2117 basically, contract-relax

[@DuBstep115]

Stretching decreases strength, no other animal on this planet stretches, why should we?

[@ericcollins6231]

He’s right, this is why bodybuilders are notoriously well know for their flexibility and mobility.

[@iam.JonahDowney]

Is this sarcasm lol?

[@DroneCorpse]

@@iam.JonahDowneyyes.

[@karrob]

😂😂😂😂

[@jamilschoolfield]

@@iam.JonahDowneya good bodybuilder is as flexible as a ballet dancer, you need it for better muscle growth, better muscle aesthetic and to reduce injuries. So no, it isn’t sarcasm Obviously with the size of the muscles their range of motion for some stuff ain’t much, but range of motion is not equal mobility nor flexibility in all cases.

[@asimpson164]

Yeah, and being muscle bound is a myth too.

[@pocoloco2409]

You are the one who have us insight in training mike! You are the one who gave us clarity

[@squantotheboywonder]

I ripped the entire back side of my labrum off the bone and shredded the cartilage. After PT I still lost a fair amount of ROM. When I started lifting again I started following Mike and Jeff nippard. Started focusing on the deep stretch slow eccentric. ROM is coming back and my shoulder feels stronger and more stable than before my surgery. My body feels better all around and I'm lifting heavier now. Not as heavy as when I was on gear years ago but more than pre surgery for sure.

[@merogaro7197]

Don't do gear dummy.

[@ChrisCharles-nu7fv]

That was the most POWERFUL blink I ever saw!

[@reidbrock9046]

Any chance we could hear more about shoulder drills? Having issues getting into a low bar squat position due to a bit of rounding and looking for best practices to help with this. Thanks love the content

[@Soccasteve]

Practice behind the neck pressing with a PVC pipe, pair that with regular standing barbell overhead pressing. Keep the weight very light, very controlled, and focus on getting a full range to your clavicle and a hard extension at the top where you hold the weight for 3-5 seconds.

[@jeetkunedophysiologymore4221]

He's ABSOLUTELY right... Since I've been using my kettlebell for my hip and hamstring exercises... My overall mobility has not ONLY increased... But I have cut down my time for stretches and such AND better range of motion

[@charleslee4666]

would love to see a sit down episodes going over movement drills to loosen up certain parts of the body!

[@t-casualrex204]

Hey, Mike. I've been watching your stuff for a while now. I'm 44, and I just started lifting again when I hit the 40 mark. So I've been chasing the dream again lately. And it's really nice to get some good advice. I felt like a 90 year old for years before this. I had to not lift the way I wanted, like I did when I was young. I had to relearn everything. But make it not hurt me. I took 15 years off of lifting. I just recently got married and learned to love, but it's hard to love yourself. I'm still working on that. But here's the thing: I used to hate myself. Lifting makes me a better person, both for me, and for my love. "You can't take care of anyone else until you take care of yourself." Not sure, but that sounds like my mom talking. I feel good now, and I keep doing better. Thanks for being you, man.

[@Bruce_Wayne35]

Remember that warming up is more important after age 40 because injuries (torn tendons and muscles) are more likely to occur as you get older.

[@aidanc311]

No compound exercise takes you through a full ROM for any joint. Squats for example, do not put you through full flexion, extension, IR ER abduction or adduction. Stretching and mobility is a topic I’ve realized dr mike isn’t well read on. I recommend checking out functional range conditioning if you want a good break down of the science

[@PeteKona]

Exactly. Like what movement takes your shoulder through the extreme ranges of motion in IR or ER safely? Most people, even bodybuilders would have difficulty using much weight at all in those extremes.

[@BobbyHill26]

Maybe I am wrong, but I kinda agree with dr Mike here, and personally feel like if you can only get in such a position by doing a specific stretch and it’s impossible to use wait, then why bother? Unless you just want to be as flexible as possible, I don’t see any need for doing stretches aside from maximum ROM exercise. For the vast majority of people, mobility is a quality of life thing rather than a skill to be mastered, so going for levels of flexibility that would never be useful outside of a circus seems kinda pointless to me. Before I started lifting I didn’t have particularly good flexibility but I have quite a bit of muscle now and only from doing standard, full ROM weight training I can comfortably place my palms on the ground with my knees locked, get a very significant arch in the bench press and can grab the gymnastic rings and turn and twist myself until my shoulders don’t have any room left to move in their sockets before dislocating without ever experiencing and pain or weakness and I can’t imagine a scenario where being more flexible is necessary. Granted, I don’t see being more flexible as being a problem outside of potential joint damage from hyper flexibility, but I just don’t see any reason in dedicating specific time and effort to improving it

[@user-he4ef9br7z]

Yeah but you can access extreme ranges of motion with weights (not necessarily compounds) to geat great results. Deep RDLs are known to loosen your hamstrings. Placing light weights on your knees during a butterfly stretch is amazing. Mike is wrong but he has a point.

[@aidanc311]

@@BobbyHill26 thanks for your opinion, you should probably read the research though

[@aidanc311]

@@user-he4ef9br7z they don’t loosen anything. Our tissues are viscoelastic. The relief of the tight feeling is due to the fluid dynamics of the tissue. Tissues can feel tight but be very flexible, correlation not causation. You can do strength training at end ranges of motion very easily, and develop flexibility and motor control through that ROM, hence me referencing FRC

[@xavierortiz4478]

dropping gems Dr Mike, thank you

[@MeoCulpa]

You can pry my mobility exercises from my strong and flexible fingers 😤

[@johnny2loco]

Dr Mike's eyes are intense yet compassionate.

[@beefchalupa]

You can see the incredible progress Mike has made in his blinking game when you look at older videos like this. Here he's blinking with less force and clearly less eyelid activation. In newer videos he blinks with purpose, taking each blink one rep at a time and even slowing down the eccentric.

[@TheBoBabsin]

What about cases where a specific lack of mobility (e.g., a stiff left hip) compromises form on exercises that would otherwise help increase mobility?

[@MeoCulpa]

Right? I’m not with him on this. Exploring other movement patterns is so important, our bodies benefit from variety.

[@chindianajones3742]

I think he might say something like, "perform the strength exercise up to your safe end range of motion (with good form), and over time get deeper as your mobility improves"

[@brandontavano6297]

This guy's advice is going to hurt someone. People with poor hip mobility likely can't execute a deep barbell squat. Follow Squat University's channel for actual advice.

[@Souljaxl]

@@brandontavano6297don’t think he would disagree, he would just say the way to progress to a deeper squat is by progressively squatting deeper than what you are currently doing.

[@chindianajones3742]

@@brandontavano6297 chill out bro it's not that serious

[@321Tdog]

Spoken from one of the worlds most immobile men

[@BearzyWhopper]

I love it when he talks quiet and deep ❤

[@Jay-z2x]

Great honest insight

[@njabulokhumalo5340]

You gear your body a certain way when you train and speed is a skill better learnt by directly focusing on the exercises that improve dexterity rather than indirectly through strength training.

[@kramkalisthenics]

Thanks for validating my training. ATG goblet squats fixed all knee issues at 66. I can still kick to the head. All I do: pull-ups, dips, AFG squats. No mobility issues at all.

[@bananachip92]

I love this explanation!!

[@mariaflesher1961]

I agree 100 if and when I stop fitness weight fitness and light body building because I part disabled due to car crash. If I don't work at mobility strength training, I get back aches my sciatica began to ache and my balance fudges big time. The only way I stop all these body aches and stiffness and balance mess up. The harder the more focus, technique and form I use the great I feel at my age it helps my disability.

[@GregPaxson]

This might be my favorite short of all time.

[@1stMarDiv4341]

I badly tore my MCL near the end of my last combat deployment in the Marine Corps. Since I was the only person who could do my job (war correspondent), I essentially had to suck it up. Yeah, that wasn’t good for my knee at all. Mobility exercises are a major part of my routine, although I agree strength training for mobility is just as important.

[@danielalbers5173]

I’d love to see you do some yoga to prove these theories into practice. You should have no issues with downward dog (hip hinge, military press, full range rdl basically), warrior two (full range of motion lunge plus upper movement) ect

[@1337skillzor]

bro. i've only been lifting 7 months, of which 4 months with Dr. Mike's style of deep&slow eccentric and can do those yoga poses. I was an inactive IT guy for years before I started.

[@MrCmon113]

What's the point of getting into Yoga poses?

[@SuperMagicFingers]

​@@MrCmon113to eventually pleasure myself

[@1337skillzor]

@@MrCmon113 different sex positions? I dnno man. bragging rights at the local vegan store probably

[@neinbruderja7519]

He's a jiu jitsu brown belt. To assume yoga would challenge him, pff

[@LittleJerrySeinfeld]

Best advice I have heard

[@mralloc23]

Crazy how this is the perfect video I needed to see today. My workout partner is afraid of squats because of old knee injuries, and I was thinking "Sounds like squats are exactly what we need to work on." Hopefully if I get him on lower weight reps, he'll start to build some of that strength and flexibility he is missing.

[@ronniefelice2033]

Spot on Mike

[@MyCharleyhorse]

I agree. At age 66 I returned to hard weight training for two reasons; first because I was in intense pain from a years previously damaged right shoulder girdle region -- in other words; the entire area was messed up; and because chemo-therapy was making the long ago -- in relative terms -- injured area flare up with such pain again that it FELT newly injured. Over the course of a few months performing general body strengthening work plus specifically targeted shoulder region exercises the pain has been reduced by about ninety percent; which is an unmitigated physical blessing.

[@JJSOFLO]

I would say Dr. Mike is fundamentally mistaken here, as there is a high level of specificity when it comes to to movement capacity restriction and doing compound movements. A great example of this, is ankle mobility, with restrictions in dorsiflexion caused for various reasons, or kyphotic posturing and movement restrictions with the upper back, there are modalities like FRC that target the specific goal of attenuating increased movement capacity in individual joints.

[@Rat-King27]

Exercises that strengthen and stretch at the same time are awesome, I do atg split squats a lot cause that flex in the ankle and knee, while the joint is being strained due to body weighrlt, is super effective, the with the wheel pose, it back bridge that I'm working up to, it's a stretch in your spine and front muscles, while also strengthening the entire posterior chain.

[@DreamIt.PursueIt.AchieveIt]

All true! I have been surprised about how flexible I have become and less hip tightness.

[@42ckev]

Can we just take a moment to appreciate how epic that clip was ... Jesus that sh*t is HARD

[@FriarJoe66]

I’ve had a sore lower back and sore legs from being on my feet all day at multiple jobs. Because of this I avoided doing leg and lower back workouts as I assumed they would just over stress my muscles and lead to injury. When I finally decided to try some, my pain began to disappear.

[@cet107]

Useful tips 🎉

[@cloudcity2012]

Mike was a champ for just restraining himself from MAULING this guy. Just wrapping him up, DIGGING his hips into his core, PRESSING INTO his pelvis....

[@LarsEckert_Molimo]

I have seen some vids of this guy by now and obviously knew he was buff, but holy shit your body is on another level

[@darrend6095]

Can't stop listening to your vids

[@bapbap22]

First sentence triggered me, then I listed all the way through and I’m in full agreement

[@craigfurber3793]

It was a revelation for my ability to move on the rock and in life when I made the transition from training pure flexibility to using weights in stretched positions. 😊

[@alexmoscatelli149]

Holy fuck, this actually changed the way i approach mobility training... What he said in the beginning most likely explains why ive been stuck

[@wigletron2846]

Those Adderall blinks lol

[@jamesj9744]

Deep low bar squats did nothing but make me more immobile. Deep goblet squats? Yeah, those help, but I’m not going to get stronger doing them. I ended up with plantar fasciitis that was so severe (and went on for over a year) that most steps hurt intensely. I gave up barbells for hot yoga and all symptoms abated within a few weeks. I’ve been going with the hot yoga for over a year now and feel great, but definitely not stronger. A few weeks ago, I put two days of full body strength training back into my program and dropped from four to three hot yoga sessions. I hope this will be the magic for me.

[@rawdeeon]

ooooof, goosebumps from them truth bombs

[@bilbobaggins7095]

The mobility is eye opening

[@theezenriarinze9203]

This is hilarious given that most body builders can scratch their own backs or touch their toes 😂

[@Soccasteve]

A lot of them yes, but there are also bodybuilders who can do the splits.

[@asiadp]

Dayummm he’s way more jacked than I thought

[@kevinkalivoda3442]

I was taught flexibility is the range of motion based on how far the muscles can move a joint or body part by flexing. Compared to range of motion by stretching. Not sure if this is a correct statement but this is what I was told in martial arts.

[@Erideah]

Just depends on what it's for. I'm disabled, mobility stuff is essential to me even if I can combine it with near zero strength with some parts of my body. Same for a lot of older folk; if you start from the right age as an older person, even if you likely already have some kind of health issue at that point which can restrict your exercise habits, your 70s and onwards can look very different

[@markbarrett-ke3dp]

I have psoriatic arthritis, if I miss training I get stiff and painful. Without lifting I would definitely be in a bad place. I was in a wheelchair for two years after major surgery training before and after eased my recovery

[@mynameissam1461]

There’s also plenty mobility exercises that aren’t easy and that resistance can be added to (ig technically you can add resistance to any exercise). Progressively loaded DB External Rotation, Nordic Leg Extension, even progressively overloaded shoulder dislocates offer you a range of mobility not possible by conventional exercises like full ROM Hack Squat or Lateral Raise. What’s yall dream blunt rotation?

[@keithdrummond1003]

Outstanding

[@thisistheslam]

Bulgarians shred me and my right side is especially difficult because of limited hip mobility and balance. But I will say that I think you should just do some basic hip mobility work during the day if you can and then go to the gym, warm up, do these exercises. I tried doing “airplanes” to open my hips and they definitely help give me a little range of motion back.

[@fabianherrera5427]

Dr mike trains his eyelid muscles hard, those blinks are nothing to mess with. Like dennis with his hummingbirds 😂

[@eniggma9353]

dope thx

[@emp100k]

Dr. Mike's legs look so crazy mid-squat.

[@mikhailmarinov8]

He is right.. myself i remember when i was over training i would always start thinking hhmm i should start doing mobility training instead of my evening strength workouts.. then i realized that it was my mind simply trying to find ways to deload body somehow because i overtrained resistance.. got sick and learned to guage the amount and all of sudden im not thinking about switching to mobility drills anymore😂

[@guangfoony]

Ok odd conversation I believe in strengthening my toes and hands and doing isometric holds while using the leverage of my limbs to stress specific muscle groups, just wanted an opinion on that. I stretch my toes and fingers until they crack and pop and i feel the muscles tense right up to my back

[@guangfoony]

I'll also move them in an extended range of motion, I feel the bones shifting about

[@kh-wg9bt]

Dr mike has ok flexibility for squats and really bad mobility in shoulders. He blames his muscle mass but that's a piss poor excuse imo. Look at people who are really flexible. They do intense stretch work..sustained holds. I do a 15 minute stretching routine before lifting and the difference is phenomenal. Source: 180kg barefoot atg squatter with lenghty pause. And trust me it's not easy.. I've got pain sweats after 2 mins of working my front splits and advanced pigeon pose.

[@mvplayax]

So bang on

[@klevdavful]

100% accurate and approved😮

[@karmacop217]

Peak blink contraction full stretch at the bottom

[@nieczerwony]

I don't know about that. Flexibility is how far you can go with force applied. Mobility is how far is your natural range of motion. Best example would be front split. You can have flexibility to do is on the ground where you use your body weight to go that deep. But can you kick above your head with ease while standing?

[@bkingtz1]

Doktor needs to see someone about those ticks.

[@toomuch9762]

You can’t do atg squats if you’ve tight hips 😂😂 it’s like telling someone just do side splits if you have a tight groin 😂😂😂😂

[@Soccasteve]

Obviously you do a regression, and start with easier variations first.

[@cankutdemircan1151]

I did back and neck stretches to help my back and shoulder pain and it didn't help much. Every think changed when I started doing pullups

[@gazelkaxd]

I think people do light streaching and count is as Mobility. While it should be exercises, with some light weight, tailored to your limitations. I to hip and ankle Mobility with kettelbell before leg workout, and it makes my squats feel soooo much better. Warmup series werent enough in my case.

[@charlesgamble4670]

The way he blinks is crazy

[@MediocreSix]

Mobility is a step to a stronger body. Once you have moderate mobility though, theres only one way to improve - up the resistance. Without the muscle to support the body, eventually you're stretching nothing at all, to escape the pain of not having the support your joints need.

[@Zenith121691]

Depends on what breed of dogs in your area. Speed, stamina, awareness and memorized escape routes.

[@zuwenaw]

Strength training and mobility with a little Qi gong for mental clarity.

[@Wise101]

Those are the most intense blinks 😂

[@92yankee52]

That was a good video

[@chubbbubb6870]

Mike do you or any bodybuilder have the mobility of a yoga master or a break dancer...

[@MrCmon113]

More mobility and flexibility are typically bad. You should only strive to aquire them when you actually need them. E.g. it's good for a long distance runner to have tight calves and hamstrings and everything, but if he also does kickboxing, he has to aquire some flexibility to kick.

[@billyrussell7789]

no, that’s the thing he’s talking about. runners shouldn’t have tight calves, that will lead to injury. runners should have mobile calves, so they can rely on strength in the stretched position, and utilise the muscle stretch reflex. tightness of a muscles doesn’t equate to elasticity, you can’t get energy from it, it just restricts movement

[@ignaciobrizzio3999]

Yes

[@d.k.s.5919]

This man was built to teach. I've been watching this dude before I gave birth to my 8 year old.

[@wenapse1639]

I had a flashback of Double Dragon Abobo some how 🎮

[@diagonals792]

My knee arthritis stops me getting full knee flexion. It’s an absolute nightmare

[@sandyvandy6483]

It takes time to get to this level of weighted ROM! Be patient with yourselves, ppl!

[@robertomomento]

Try overhead squats with plate overhead and plate under your feet then squat

[@Anthony-mh7ix]

I’ve done Taekwondo for a long time and was pretty good and pretty serious for a few years. Nothing, and I mean nothing, helped anywhere near as much for flexibility than adding crazy ROM lifting. ATG split squats, weighted side splits, and Cossack squats were my go to. 3 workouts of those a week beat literally hours of drills and intense stretching

[@user-he4ef9br7z]

What about tight hip flexors? Hip flexors aren't trained in bodybuilding.

[@Anthony-mh7ix]

@@user-he4ef9br7z ATG split squats stretched them under load and reverse squats strengthened them. I stole this stuff entirely from the Knees Over Toes Guy, check him out he’s fucking amazing

[@lukecouzens3946]

Hey Mike, can you do a handstand?

[@walkerskii]

Dang that's doctor wisdom!

[@Abeselemon-zh7pv]

🎯mobility is flexibility multiplied by strength 💯✅

[@R3DR1NG78]

I need Dr.mike to read to me via an audible audio book 😂

[@marcuscoleman4910]

If Im not wrong, this is the whole kneesovertoesguy philosophy summarized.

[@goude264]

Mobility and stability will help you get stronger and avoid injuries.

[@songofyesterday]

Are those pink purple shoes while wearing a Speedo? Now I’m sure Dr Mike is just trolling 😂

[@ImATurtle]

What if you’re working with people who e never trained or are seniors 65+. This may not be the best method for them. So… yoga and weight training? Or… what?